Author: Emma Jilavian

TURKISH PM SCORNS ARMENIA APOLOGY

BBC NEWS
urope/7788486.stm
2008/12/17 17:24:34 GMT

Turkey’s prime minister has criticised a Turkish internet petition
which apologises for the "great catastrophe" of 1915 when Armenians
were massacred.

The petition was launched by more than 200 Turkish academics and
newspaper columnists earlier this week.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I find it unreasonable to
apologise when there is no reason".

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks
in 1915. Turkey denies that it was "genocide".

Mr Erdogan said the petition risked stirring trouble. He called it
"irrational" and "wrong".

Many international historians say the massacres and deaths of Armenians
during their forced removal from what is now eastern Turkey were
"genocide".

Turkey vehemently denies that, arguing that those who died were just
victims of the turmoil of World War I, in which many innocent Muslim
Turks also died.

The intellectuals behind the petition say they want to challenge the
official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what
happened, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul.

The petition is entitled "I apologise".

A short statement at the top reads: "My conscience cannot accept
the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman
Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and –
on my own behalf – I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian
brothers – and I apologise to them."

The petition was condemned on Tuesday by some 60 Turkish former
ambassadors, who called it an act of betrayal.

The Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink was killed last year for openly
saying that the events of 1915 were genocide.

Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his
comments on 1915 – as was Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning author,
who said that a million Armenians were killed "in these lands" and
no-one dared talk about it.

MASIS MAYILYAN: MOSCOW DECLARATION OFFERED TIME OUT TO BE USED FOR MOBILIZATION OF POTENTIAL TO PREVENT UNADVISABLE SCENARIO

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.11.2008 17:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The declaration signed by the Presidents of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia in Moscow offered a time out which should
be used for mobilization of our potential to prevent unadvisable
scenarios, former Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, independent expert Masis Mayilyan said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"It first of all refers to defense of territories and preservation
of national identity," he said.

"Further steps are conditioned by the declaration itself. These
are meetings between the Presidents and Foreign Ministers with close
cooperation with the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and development
of trust-building measures."

TURKISH, AZERI PRESIDENTS DISCUSS CAUCASUS, BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE

Anatolia News Agency
Nov 5 2008
Turkey

Ankara, 5 November: Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Wednesday
that "we are dealing with the problems of Caucasia in a brave manner
altogether."

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev in Ankara, Gul said that "Caucasian leaders display
the will to resolve problems in various platforms. This is a very
positive development."

Congratulating Aliyev for having been recently re-elected, Gul said
that "the Turkish people have been honoured to welcome Aliyev in his
first foreign trip after getting re-elected."

"The presidential election in Azerbaijan was a good model for the whole
region. At a time when the Caucasus is going through an important
phase, we had a chance to discuss the regional problems extensively
with Aliyev on Wednesday," Gul said.

"It is in the interest of all in the Caucasus to develop
cooperation. Within this framework, Turkey proposed the Caucasus
Cooperation and Stability Platform. A climate of understanding via
dialog will help resolve problems in the Caucasus. I can state that
a new process began to solve the Karabakh problem," Gul stressed.

Reminding that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan signed a joint document in Russia recently,
Gul said that Turkey supports the dialog process that began in Moscow.

Gul said that Aliyev and he also discussed energy matters, including
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
natural gas pipeline.

"These great projects are open to the whole region and will bring
peace and stability," Gul said.

"Bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan continue at the
highest level possible," Gul also said.

PRESS RELEASE
TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian School
1200 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tel: 323-461-4377
Fax: 323-461-4247
Web:

THE LINCY FOUNDATION DONATES $175,000 TO
T.C.A. ARSHAG DICKRANIAN ARMENIAN SCHOOL

In a letter dated August 25, 2008, The Lincy Foundation affirmed the
approval of a contribution in the amount of $175,000 to the Tekeyan
Cultural Association Arshag Dickranian Armenian School.

Wishing the school continued success, the letter also stated that the
contribution was intended to be used throughout the school’s 2008-2009
academic year for the following purposes: (a) to carry on the school’s
mission by instituting a diverse and comprehensive educational
program, (b) to enhance teacher recruitment and retention, and (c) for
scholarship program assistance.

Arshag Dickranian School has long been listed as a beneficiary of the
Lincy Foundation. In June 2008, Mr. Rakow paid a personal visit to the
school accompanied by the Foundation’s Senior Vice President Mr. Harut
Sassounian. The two guests spent more than an hour meeting with the
members of the Board of Trustees, gathering information and touring
the campus. Their promise for assistance was swift and overwhelmingly
generous.

`We are overjoyed and very grateful to the Board Members of The Lincy
Foundation for responding to our annual petitions in such a timely and
generous way` , said George K. Mandossian, Chairman of the School
Board of Trustees. The merits of The Lincy Foundation are diverse and
exemplary, having long gained worldwide respect and acclaim for its
numerous benevolence throughout the United States and the Republic of
Armenia.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND COMPLETES RENOVATION OF KHASHTARAK HEALTH POST

armradio.am
17.09.2008 11:04

Renovation works in Khashtarak village health post have been completed.

Through the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Netherlands Local Committee
the building has been fully renovated. The total cost of the project
is about 34 million AMD.

Built in 1970s the health post had never been renovated which led to
the poor condition of the building occupying about 300 m2. Only the
administrative office, doctor’s room and reception were functioning
out of 13 rooms. There was no heating system and people had to use
wood ovens to heat the rooms. The rain-water and thaw caused serious
damage to the back wall of the building.

Today not only the building has been completely renovated, but also
the surrounding areas improved, a new external water pipeline and
sewerage, obstruction for flood constructed.

Fund’s Executive board will also undertake full furnishing of the
health post. Some 4,5 million drams has been provided for realization
of this initiative.

As a result people in Khashtarak village can get medical services in
a new health post. People from neighboring Lusahovit, Aknaghbyur and
Lusadzor villages can also visit this health care institution. The
health post can serve around 400 visitors per month.

Khashtarak is among the border villages involved in Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund’s Rural Developmen t Project which covers a few
projects at a time. Besides the health post people in Khashtarak
village will have a newly reconstructed school. The kindergarten
project is in its design stage. And the agricultural machines provided
by the Hayastan Fund facilitate farmers work in the village.

Head of Khashtarak Community Administrationr Mr. Hayk Kamalyan assures
that the Fund brought big changes in their everyday life. "I feel
how the mood of people in Khashtarak has changed. We now have a sense
of stability.

One feels confident when there is someone who takes care of him,
who simply thinks about him. I hope that with this good mood we’ll
be healthier, and the Health Post will serve more for preventive
measures. We are very grateful to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund."

The Hayastan Fund Acting Executive Director Ara Vardanyan said:
"Khashtarak is gradually standing on its own feet. This is our
approach to the villages of Armenia and Karabakh: In Kashtarak,
along with the completion of health post project, we go ahead with
school reconstruction project and plan construction of a kindergarten."

ABOUT 850 FOREIGNERS LEAVE GEORGIA FOR ARMENIA

ARKA
Aug 11, 2008

YEREVAN, August 11. /ARKA/. About 850 foreign citizens have been
taken from Georgia to Armenia due to escalation of the conflict in
South Ossetia, the Press Service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

By 18:00 Sunday, 130 U.S. citizens, 180 citizens of Poland and hundreds
of citizens of other countries crossed the Armenian-Georgian border,
says the report.

According to the press release, entry visas for foreigners arriving
to Armenia from Georgia are free and no "air fare" is charged for
taking a transit flight from Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan.

The Frontier and Customs services have been assigned to simplify
all the procedures and provide all the required support to foreign
citizens, the Ministry reported.

The country’s Foreign Ministry also reported that no Armenian citizens
had suffered from the events in Georgia by the time of the report
(18:00 Sunday). Armenian Embassy to Georgia and the country’s General
Consulate in Batumi continue their consistent efforts to help Armenian
citizens return home, the report says.

Over 3,500 Armenian citizens had already returned home by Sunday
morning, including diplomats accredited in Georgia and their
families.

euronews, France
05/07/2008

Armenian opposition turn up heat on president

Thousands of opposition supporters have taken to the streets in the
Armenian capital, Yerevan calling for the resignation of President
Serzh Sarksyan and new elections.

They accuse the authorities of rigging the ballot in February that
brought him to power. Sarksyan was the candidate chosen by the then
outgoing president, Robert Kocharyan, to succeed him.

Since then tensions have been high in the Caucusas nation, sometimes
erupting into violence. Nine people died in clashes between protesters
and the army in March. The opposition say they intend to escalate
their campaign to force Sarksyan to resign.

At a meeting ahead of today’s rally opposition leader Levon
Ter-Petrosyan urged people to stage mass-meetings, pickets and
sit-ins. Ter-Petroysan, a former president himself, was placed under
house-arrest after February’s vote but was later released.

DM SEYRAN OHANYAN MET WITH CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF RF ARMED FORCES

armradio.am
18.06.2008 13:55

On June 18 RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with the Chief
of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,
Army General Nikolay Makarov.

At the beginning of the meeting Nikolay Markov greeted Seyran Ohanyan
and congratulated him on assuming the office of the Defense Minister.

For his part, RA Defense Minister congratulated Nikolay Markov on
his appointment and expressed hope that the bilateral cooperation
will expand during his tenure in office.

During the meeting the parties discussed issues related to the
Armenian-Russian military, military-technical and military-educational
cooperation, stressing the achievements in these spheres.

The parties discussed questions related to the creation of a Joint
Military System and its activity, as well as some organizational
issues of the "Rubezh 2008" military exercises.

At the end of the meeting the parties turned to the current state of
military cooperation, stressing the importance of deepening it.

DIALOGUE DEEMED CRUCIAL IN LEBANON

Yerkir
15.05.2008 16:18

Yerevan (Yerkir) – "As a result of mediations by the Arab League,
the Lebanese government cancelled two earlier decisions yesterday that
had led to the opposition discontent," Shahan Gantaharian, the chief
editor of the Azdak newspaper published in Beirut, has told Yerkir.

Armed clashes have stopped in Lebanon but the civil disobedience is
partially maintained. Many important roads, including the one leading
to the airport, are blocked. Gantaharian said, however, that according
to unofficial information, the airport will open soon.

As a result of the negotiations, it has been deemed crucial to
establish a dialogue atmosphere in the country. It has been suggested
to hold a dialogue between the government and the opposition in Qatar,
but those are just talks, Gantaharian said.

Gantaharian also said that only 4-5 Armenian citizens have left
Lebanon though Syria.

"There is no a huge flow of Armenian citizens leaving Lebanon as the
number of Armenian citizens is limited here. Only some have left. It
is also unknown if the Beirut-Yerevan flights are going to resume,"
Gantaharian said.

PRESIDENT: "SCIENTIFIC FIELD REASONABLE FOR EVERYONE"

Panorama.am
17:42 25/04/2008

The notion of scientific titles is under serious danger in Armenia. The
number of scientific candidates is too big in the country, said the
president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan during the annual summit of the
Academy of National Sciences.

"Today very often we hear complains on the inappropriate level of
the scientific specialties.

First country itself has not paid much attention on this issue, and
second, some so-called scientists have ignored their mission and were
lost," said the president.

According to the president appropriate staff strategy should be drafted
to solve the problem. He also mentioned that for many male students
doing PhD has become a way to escape from army service and he notified
that this current question is ignored by the scientists themselves.

Serzh Sargsyan said that the most important reform to be held is to
create such educational system which is available not only for our
compatriots but for foreigners, also.